On April 18th, 1906, a huge earthquake rattled San Francisco, measured at 7.9 - 8.5 on the Richter scale, one of the biggest ever to hit in United States' history. An estimated 3,000 people died with about $350 million dollars in damage, the equivalent of roughly 8.2 billion dollars in money today. The earthquake devastated cities all around the Bay Area, leaving over 200,000 people homeless and destroying roughly 80% of San Francisco. However, the most damaging part of the disaster was not necessarily the earthquake itself, but the fires in the aftermath.
With fires ravaging the city, the San Francisco Fire Department quickly dispatched across the city in order to put out the flames. When the fire fighters reached the Mission District, to their dismay, they discovered that none of the fire hydrants worked, mainly due to the earthquake destroying the water lines. However, another reason that the fire hydrants did not work was because they were not even connected to the water lines! A few corrupt politicians decided to just plop down fire hydrants across the Mission District without connecting them to the main water lines, and pocketed the money that was supposed to be used to connect them. As the fire raged on, the fire fighters frantically searched for a working hydrant until they found one on the intersection of Church and 20th Street. With the help of the only functioning fire hydrant, they fought the fire for three more days until it was vanquished.
To this day, the fire hydrant on 20th and Church is known as the Golden Fire Hydrant. Every year on April 18th, relatives of survivors of the fire come to the Mission District and give the hydrant a fresh coat of golden paint.
Here is the website I used: http://www.exploresanfrancisco.biz/goldhydrant.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! I starting doing some research on San Francisco during the Great Depression (a little unrelated but cool facts) and I found this article:
ReplyDeletehttp://foundsf.org/index.php?title=W.P.A._Construction_in_San_Francisco_%281935-1942%29
It talks about the role of the WPA (Work Progress Administration) in San Francisco. This really laid a foundation for the San Francisco we know and love today. Here is a passage from a progress report included:
"…the completion of the grading and underground drainage system for a boulevard 60 feet in width around the west side of Glen Park Reservoir Site and Glen Park. It involves the movement of 87,716 cubic yards of material 90% of which is stratified red country rock and 10% is top soil and hard earth; also a temporary pavement of 1" marks emulsified asphalt wearing surface over 8" of red rock base, 16,000 square feet; and a temporary sidewalk with a 5" red rock base, 3,300 square feet; the raising of 5 brick manholes; the removal of 15 eucalyptus trees; and the erection of a masonry rubble wall of 8 cubic yards."
It may not be interesting but it did set a standard for living and some of this construction may still be in San Francisco today! Anyways, thanks for posting!
This is very interesting and I did a little research of my own and I found out that the hydrant actually has its own memorial plaque. The plaque reads, "Though the water mains were broken and dry on April 18, 1906 yet from this Greenberg hydrant on the following night there came a stream of water allowing the firemen to save the Mission District.
ReplyDeleteDedicated to chief Dennis Sullivan and the men who fought the Great Fire and to the spirit of the people of San Francisco who regardless of their losses brought our city from its ruins to be host of the world with their 1925 Pan Pacific Exposition and the building of our Civic Center.
May their love and devotion for this city be an inspiration for all to follow and their motto 'The city that knows how' a light to lead all future generations."
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-golden-fire-hydrant
This is very impressive, the "golden hydrant" was actually the only surviving functioning fire hydrant from the earthquake, and helped put out the fires in San Francisco that raged for 3 days form April 18-20.
ReplyDeleteNow, whenever the fire hydrant is repainted annually large crowds of people gather and there is quite a scene for the tradition. San Franciscans honor all those who were lost and everyone that survived. It is a very important moment for city-folk.
Was the golden fire hydrant incident related to the boss system or any other local politician corruption on an organized scale? I haven't found any sources in my personal research, but it would be great to know.
ReplyDelete